This year western and Orthodox feasts of the Resurrection fell on the same day, although this is not usually the case. When I was growing up, our family would generally celebrate Easter twice, once at our Presbyterian (and later Baptist) church and with our immediate family, and again a week or two . . . . Continue Reading »
The other book I’m reading right now is the latest from 9Marks ministries, by Jonathan Leeman,The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love: Reintroducing the Doctrine of Church Membership and Discipline. Just like the book by James Davison Hunter I recommended on Saturday, I . . . . Continue Reading »
A few weeks ago WBAI (Pacifica Radio, “Your peace and justice community radio station”) host Shelton Waldon conducted a wide ranging interview with me about my new book. He has edited it down and it first aired today.What is unusual about the program, is that Walden edited out most of . . . . Continue Reading »
In most western languages the word for the day which we English-speakers know as Easter derives from the Hebrew pesach, or passover, usually by way of its Aramaic equivalent, pascha. Only in German (which calls it Ostern) and English is the Paschal feast called by a name sounding more like a . . . . Continue Reading »
What is often difficult in getting a perspective on socio-political perspectives is to get past the popular rhetoric and get into the heads of the secular philosopher. So I took Hebrews 11 and reframed it in materialistic terms that would convey the ideas of today’s progressive. This . . . . Continue Reading »
I feel the same way about evangelical condemnations of technology (see Read Schuchardt for example) as I do about Pacifism: The arguments are endearing but unconvincing. That said, I’m not without some of my own Schuchardtian hesitations. First, as we all know, Apple shapes its central . . . . Continue Reading »
A physician named Dr. Eliezer Van Allen wrote an opinion column in this morning’s San Francisco Chronicle intending to puncture the fear of “death panels” in the context of our political debate over Obamacare—although he is not discussing the plan’s rationing boards, . . . . Continue Reading »
Virtually every detail of Matthews account takes us back to the beginning of his gospel story. In the end is the beginning, because in the beginning is the end. Two Marys come to the tomb on the first day of the week. One of them is Mary Magdalene, but the other Mary is the . . . . Continue Reading »